How Long Should A Children’s Sermon Be?

Someone plugged this question into a search engine and found 2×2. So here’s an answer:

The length of a children’s sermon depends on what you hope to accomplish with the children and the congregation. Five minutes is enough if all you plan to do is give very young children some attention during a one-hour service.

A shorter sermon is also appropriate if you are “talking at” the children. In other posts, we have advocated for using children sermon time to accomplish much more.

The children’s sermon can be learning time for the entire congregation and can help fill huge gaps in education that churches are encountering as Sunday School attendance drops and becomes more sporadic.

A children’s sermon can be used to introduce new concepts to everyone listening and grow your congregation’s skills as a worshiping community.

Here’s a format that expands the function of the children’s sermon and involves the congregation in this part of the service.

  • 1-2 minutes
    Take a moment to make the children comfortable. Ask a few questions? Were they part of an event at church during the week?  Is there anyone or anything you can pray for later on?
  • 1-2 minutes
    Tie the message to the scriptures of the day. In this case, the sermon time should be delivered after the scriptures. Ask the children if they were listening and refer to the lessons. Over time, this will encourage them to listen to scripture readings.
  • 3 minutes
    Present the body of your message. This is the meat of your sermon.
  • 1-2 minutes
    Pray with the children. Use various formats and involve the children.
  • 3 minutes
    Teach something. Sing a hymn together. Give the children an assignment for the next week. Ask them to listen for something that is going to happen later in the service. Introduce a member of the congregation that the children may not know. For example, if there is an upcoming congregational event, introduce the lay leader of the event and invite that person to talk to the children about their project. Make this interactive time. Involve the entire congregation. Remember, everyone is listening!
  • Dismissal
    If your children will remain in the service, this might be the best time to hand them a children’s bulletin insert tied to the day’s theme. It will occupy their attention in a related way as the adult sermon is playing out.

This format takes about 10-12 minutes. That may seem like a lot, but it is a short amount of time that can reap big rewards. Your children will feel less on display and more part of congregational life. New relationships within the congregation will be forged.